An
exclusive quality of Indians living in India is the ability to look the other
way when we ourselves are severely inconvenienced or presented with irrefutable
evidence of social evils inflicted upon others. That is why we suck it up when
freshly paved roads in residential areas are torn up to accommodate open drains
on either side where stray pups drown, and people toss rubbish leading to
clogging and the exacerbation of an already untenable situation. We grit our
teeth and move on ignoring the potholed roads groaning under the weight of
endless vehicles as we make perilous trips to our destinations, determinedly
ignoring shouted insults, traffic jams, and inexcusable driving as people chat
on their mobile phones and drive on the wrong side.
It is best
to ignore these things. Like we do the stray dogs which pose a rabies risk and
cows wandering around and inevitably ending up spattered across the windshields
of truck drivers with rage issues brought on by haemorrhoids, they can’t afford
to treat. Kids are getting abducted, and somebody is being raped and set alight
in public and in broad daylight? Ignore. There may be crooked cops and
politicians involved.
Pilgrims
undertaking padayatras or thronging to immerse themselves in the confluence of
sacred rivers feel free to behave as badly as they please, discarding trash
over every inch of available space, causing stampedes, and blaming the
government when devotees are crushed to death. Any criticism is not welcome
because this is a religious matter, and we ought to be sensitive as opposed to
sensible. So why bother? Besides, unlike in Gaza, we are not enabling genocide
and the slaughter of children over religious claims and disputed holy lands,
are we? India is better than that!
What about
the poor? Those wretched folks who live in unsightly slums and practise open
defecation when not begging, their umpteen babies with runny noses in tow or
sleeping on pavements to be killed beneath imported wheels. They are everywhere,
ruining the reputation of our country in front of those white tourists who
click pics and make award – winning films about Slumdogs who are unlikely to
become millionaires in this or subsequent lifetimes.
Some of us
half - heartedly read reports about the fact that there are more billionaires
than ever in India which still means there are countless people unable to make
ends meet and live and die in grinding poverty despite the back breaking labour
they are forced into. Focusing on issues like population explosion, unequal
distribution of wealth and resources, corruption and governance, inadequate
health care, social injustices etc is bound to give one a migraine. And what
can we do?
We have
our own problems. Most of us are neither Ambani nor Adani, and we need to find
maids who will work for a pittance, send our kids to a school that does not
charge an arm and a leg and both kidneys, make enough in this depressing
economy to allow us to holiday at some exotic locale guaranteed to make the
Insta fam jealous and buy more expensive trifles we don’t need. We carry on,
uncaring that we can’t afford to go on this way. Ignoring pressing issues is a
hard feat, but we manage it. Because that much at least, we can do.
This article was originally published in TNIE Magazine
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